Self stacking cans



April 4, 1961 J NOVICK 2,978,142

SELF STACKING CANS Filed March 24, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JACK NOVICK A l. 1,6 L20 V22, 4 Afro/@MW April 4, 1961 J. NovlcK SELF sTAcKING cANs Filed March 24, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

JACK NOVIC K BY g@ @w Arme/vn' United States Patent;

SELF STACKING CANS Jack Novick, 619 Pauley Drive, West Hempstead, N.Y. Filed Mar. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 801,579 1 Claim. (Cl. 220 97)' This invention relates to container constructions and more particularly to a container construction adapted to be stacked.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a container construction shaped at its ends for stacking purposes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a can construction having a ribbed bottom and top, the bottom rib of the can being arranged to nest inside a ribbed top of a similarly constructed can construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a truncated conical can construction having a ribbed top and a ribbed bottom with the ribs provided with intertitting split and projection respectively to serve as a keyway and key means so that the can construction may be stacked in only one position on anothersimilar can construction.

- For further comprehension of' the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a number of containers in stacked relation, each container embodying the first form of my invention, in symbolical form.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale through a container construction embodying a modification of the invention, a portion of a similar container construction being shown stacked thereon.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view on a reduced scale of the container construction of Fig. 3, as seen from the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view on a reduced scale of the container construction of Fig. 3 as seen from the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a container construction embodying another modified form of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the container of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of still another modified form of container construction shown in stacked relation.

Fig. 9 is a similar view of a still further modilied form of container construction.

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of yet another modified form of container construction.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the container shown in Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, in Fig. 11 a container construction 10 made in accordance with the first form of the invention is shown. This is made of metal, cardboard, plastic or other suitable rigid material capable of retaining its shape 'when stacked as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The container construction 10 has a cylindrical ll CC hollow body 12 with a side wall. 14 tapering downwardly and inwardly in conical formation thereby providing abody with a wider diameter at the top than at the bottom.

The body has a at bottom wall 16 and a flat top wall 18, these walls being shown in Figs. 1 and 2 formed integrally with the side wall but in practice the peripheral edges of such walls overlap the end edges of the side wall and are soldered or welded thereon as shown inY Fig. 11. Y f

Referring particularly to Fig. 2, the bottom wall 16 and the side wall 14 are joined by a rib 22, the rib ex tending slightly outwardly of the bottom wall and with the bottom wall dening a shallow recess Ztl opening or size may be fastened to the outer surface of the side,

wall 14. This container construction may be readily mounted one upon another in stacked formation as shown in Figs. l and 2. The constructions anddimensions of the ribs and recesses are such that the recess 28 in the top Wall 18 ittingly receives the annular rib 22 on the bottom wall of the container construction superimposed thereon in stacked relation, the rib on the top wall of the lower container construction interlocking with the rib on the bottom wall of the upper superimposed container construction as shown in Fig. 2. This interlock prevents the container constructions from tipping over.

The modiiied'form of container construction 10' shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 differs from the formof Figs. l andd 2- in that the top wall 18 is yformed with an additional annular rib 27 which is spaced inwardly from the outer rib 26' constituting the'junctureV ofthe side wall 14 and top wall 1'8'. The rib 27 extending outwardlyof the top wall'a distance equal to the outer rib 26 so"that the outer edges of the ribs are llush with each other. An annular groove 24 is formed in the top wall between the ribs 26 and 27.

The construction and dimensions of the annular ribs and annular groove are such that the annular groove 24 in the top wall 18 ittingly -receives the annular rib 22 on the bottom wall of the container construction superimposed thereon in stacked relation, in interlocking relation with the ribs on the top wall of the lower container construction.

The form of container construction 10" shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is the same as the form of Figs. 3 and 4 except that the annular rib 22" on the bottom wall 16 is indented forming a protuberance 42 and the inner annular rib 27" on top wall 18 is formed with a split or a notch 40. When a container construction 10" is superimposed on another container construction 10" in stacked relation, the protuberance 42 on the bottom wall tits into the notch or split 40 in the top wall of Ithe lower container construction thereby interlocking the container constructions and guiding the container constructions to proper stacked position so that all of the labels 31 will be aligned.

Referring to the modiiied form of container 10a shown in Fig. 8, in this form the body of the container has a straight side wall 24a, a at bottom wall 16a and a flat top wall 18a. The bottom wall 16a is formed with an annular rib 22a spaced inwardly from the side wall thereby forming an annular shoulder 36 at the bottom of the side wall. The rib 22a extends slightly outwardly of the bottom wall. The juncture of the top wall and side wall is formed with an annular rib 26a extending slightly outwardly of the top` wall. The rib 26a and top wall dene a shallow recess 28a.

The containers 10El may be readily stacked one upon another as the annular rib 22 on the bottom wall 16al Patented Apr. 4, 1961 is adapted to seat in the recess 28a ofthe top wall of body Vof the container has a s'traightside wall 24b with a'atbottom wall 16band a fiat top wall 18h. The juncture between the side wall 24'.b and bottom wall 16h is constituted by an annular rib 22h extending slightly below the bottomrwall. In this form, the juncture between the top wall 16D and the side wall 24b is formed by an annular rib 26b slanting outwardly and upwardly of the top and side walls. T-he rib 26b and top wall 18b d ene a shallow recess 28h. The containers 10b may be readily stacked as the bottom -rib 22h is adapted to s eat on the top wall in the recess 28b at the base of the top rib 2Gb of the lower container.

` The form of container construction 10x shown in Fig. 10 comprises a cylindrical hollow body having a straight side wall 24X, a flat bottom wall 16x and a fiat top wall 18x. The bottom wall 16X is formed with an annular rib 22X spaced inwardly from the peripheral edge thereof, the rib extending outwardly of the bottom wall a slight distance. The side wall 24I is formed with an annular flange 40 depending downwardly therefrom and forming an extension thereof. The bottom edge of the flange 40 is ush with the bottom edge of the side wall 24X. The top wall 18x is also formed with an annular rib 26X, spaced inwardly from its peripheral edge a distance shorter than the distance spacing the -rib 22x of the bottom wall. the top wall a slight distance and with the top wall defines a shallow recess 28X. An annular Iflange 42 is formed on the top edge of the side wall 24X forming an extension thereof. The `outer edge of the, annular flange 42 is flush with the outer Aedge Aof the side wall 24x. The containers 10x may be readily stacked one upon `another as the annular rib 22x on the bottom wall is adapted to seat in the recess 28x of -the top wall of The rib 26x extends outwardly of I 4 the bottom container, with the ribs 22x and 26X inter-4 locking with each other as shown in Fig. 10.

The several ribs, grooves, protuberances and notches can be formed by well known material working machinery at low cost.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred l embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as de fined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent A stack of containers, each of said containers comprising a truncated conical body having a fiat circular wider top wall and a narrower fiat circular bottom wall, said top Awall having a peripheral rib defining a recess with' said top wall, said bottom wall having a continuous bottom peripheral. rib, the bottom rib of each upper container fitting into the recess' in the top of each lower container, the top wall of each container having another continuous rib disposedconcentrically within the iirstnamed rib and defining'a groovertherebetwecn, the bottom rib of each upper container tting into tnc groove at the top of the lower container, the bottom rib of each container having a radially extending projection, said other rib at the top of each container having a notch, the projection at the bottom of each upper container fitting into the notch at the top of eachV lower container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,310,420 Graham Feb. 9, 1943 2,707,588 Amberg May 3, 1955 2,822,952 Scott Feb. 11, 1958 2,833,452 Drummond May 6, 1958 

